Practical Wisdom Workshops

Not much is known about the life of William Shakespeare nor the people and literature that influenced him.

There are hints, however, in his plays and sonnets to suggest that he was deeply influenced by the Marisilio Ficino and the Platonic revival in the Renaissance.

The interactive workshop will explore the historical and literary threads linking Shakespeare with the Platonic tradition with illustrative examples from Shakespeare’s works. The session begins with the performance of a light hearted short play which imagines what might have happened if Plato, Ficino and Shakespeare met in real time and how his writing might have benefited.

Dr. Craig Hassed is renowned as a pioneer in the use of mindfulness meditation within the medical world and beyond. He helps people to use mindfulness for their personal use as a means of reducing stress, promoting mental and physical wellbeing and improving performance.

Dr. Hassed has published many articles in peer reviewed journals and books on the benefits of mindfulness and speaks at national and interational forums promoting mindfulness practice in a wide range of fields.

Stewart was a professional actor and director both in England and Australia for close to 30 years. His sole aim as an actor was to perform in Shakespeare’s plays and for the most part this is what he did. In England with the English Shakespeare Company, at Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End and with Compass Theatre Company. In Melbourne his first theatre job was in the botanical gardens in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ then ‘Hamlet’ for Theatre Up North and ‘Macbeth’ with the Old Van Theatre company.

Stewart has been a member of the Melbourne School of Philosophy for over 25 years having previously studied at the School of Philosophy in London. He tutors classes as well as running the odd Shakespeare workshop.